Three Years Before the Ending Song
by Otaku-Okami
Summary: Manga. Canon. Takes place in between chapters 29 and 30. How will Mitsuki live on for the next three years before the final song?
1. Chapter 1

"I'm sorry, Mitsuki… I… won't be able to protect you any longer… The Cat Shingami was breathing heavily, each breath being more painful than that of the last. "I guess I'm ending up just the same as that damn Eichi you love so much…"Tears started to form in Takuto's eyes. "Dammit…"

He was gone.

* * *

"Fullmoon, Fullmoon!" The crowd was so excited to see this star perform.

'There was no way they'd ever forget this night,' Mitsuki noted, 'I know I won't, either.'

Her life had changed so much ever since the day Takuto had appeared from her wall, with his partner, Meroko and her old partner, Izumi. Of course, it couldn't have happened without Eichi: The only way she could see all of the Shinigami was through his soul.

The last song finally came to and end. Mitsuki bowed, showing her thanks to her supportive spectators. I think this is truly where I belong… Thank you, Takuto and Eichi…

* * *

"Me-chan…" Izumi's cold eyes flickered towards Meroko. "What are we going to tell Mi-ki? She'll be devastated if she were to learn that Ta-kun disappeared."

Meroko's rabbit ears were drooping. " I realize that, Izumi. I think… we should be honest with her. We are the head of the Pediatric Ward now." She held out her hand towards the Dog Shingami. "We are… Milmake again. We can do whatever is needed."

Izumi took her offered hand and gave it a light squeeze. "We need to protect her. That's what angels do. Not Shingami."

* * *

"Takuto! Takuto! Where are you?" A thirteen-year-old Mitsuki called out. She hadn't felt this afraid or alone in a long time.

Meroko gently drifted down on the light breeze. "Mitsuki. Takuto's gone. The Death Master's scythe… He's gone… " Meroko started to burst into sobs. "I'm so sorry, Mitsuki."

"Meroko, I don't understand."

"Frankly, Mitsuki, I don't either."

The two girls sat down on a bench and started to cry together, Meroko engulfing Mitsuki in a tight hug.

Izumi was listening to their conversations a small distance away. "Me-chan… I didn't know you liked him so much…" he murmured to himself, slightly unsurprised at this. "However, I thought I still had her…"

Wakaouji-sensei and Ooshige-san were waiting at the exit of the theatre where Fullmoon had sung her last song. The last thing they expected to see was a sobbing Mitsuki.

"Mitsuki?" Wakaouji-sensei cried out. "Are you in pain?"

Mitsuki looked down as if ashamed, yet said nothing. She motioned her head with a nod.

"Where do you hurt?" he questioned.

Mitsuki's hands covered over her heart. "I'm sorry, Wakaouji-sensei. I didn't mean to scare you like that," she whispered, "I'm… sick in the heart. I just received a…" Mitsuki paused momentarily, thinking up a legitimate excuse, "Call... that… one of my friends died."

_I'm scared, Takuto. You said you'd protect me._


	2. Chapter 2

A bright light pierced Takuto's blue-grey eyes. Blinking a few times, Takuto tried to move.

"What is this place?" he whispered, his voice hoarse.

He tried to wiggle his fingers, but he found no matter what he did, he couldn't move any part of his body, other than his eyes and mouth. Takuto looked around, trying to remember what had happened.

A nurse walked into the room and dropped her notes in shock. There was no way this man could still be alive! He had been in a coma for years, and even Wakaouji-sensei knew that recovery would be doubtful for him. He had a tumor in his throat and his vocal cords had been removed. There was no way he could be able to talk again- or so she had been told.

"Where… am… I?" he murmured.

The nurse nearly fainted. "Y-You're in the hospital."

He blinked and tried to remember what that was. "There's something I'm supposed to do. But I can't move. Who am I?"

"Takuto is your name. I'm your nurse, Hoshiko." She jotted down notes about his miraculous awakening and condition. She knew she needed to call Wakaouji-sensei right away.

* * *

Wakaouji-sensei's phone started to ring. "Mitsuki, can you give me a minute? Masami, why don't you help Mitsuki to the car."

Ooshige-san nodded and rushed over to Mitsuki's side. The young girl was shivering and coughing. "Mitsuki, you don't look well. Let's take you home. We can talk on the way there."

Ooshige-san turned the keys in the ignition and drove Mitsuki home.

"Mitsuki, are you going to be all right?"

For a few moments, all one could hear was Mitsuki's coughing. "No, Ooshige-san. I'm not."

"If you don't mind me asking, who is it that died? I'm not familiar with too many of your friends."

Mitsuki looked downwards. "I don't think they would want me to be sad like this. They both would want me to live, and be happy. Ooshige-san, if someone really important to you died, would you try living, or die to be with them?"

Ooshige-san thought for a few moments. "If Wakaouji-sensei died, I'd be heartbroken. But I know he'd want me to be happy. Maybe I'd start to go out with someone else, if I'd ever be ready. If that person was a friend, I'd probably live for them. Same if they were a lover."

Mitsuki looked up. "Ooshige-san, I want to have the surgery. Even if it means losing my voice... I want to follow their wishes, even if it makes me miserable."

"Mitsuki, it's your choice, not your Obaa-san's or mine. Think about it; this may affect you for the rest of your life. And if singing is more important to you than anything, maybe you shouldn't have the surgery. It's honestly up to you."

"I promised I would live. I'm going to try, no matter how hard it will be."


	3. Chapter 3

The Pediatrics Ward of Shinigami (now Angels) had many documents to start filing. Meroko and Izumi were sending their fellow angels to sort them out.  
Izumi sighed. "Me-chan, I think we should go visit Mi-ki."  
Meroko glared at Izumi, feeling a pang of envy. "Since when have you actually cared about her? But… I guess she needs some help. Besides, it's been two months since we've last seen her…"

* * *

Mitsuki lay in her hospital bed. Her surgery had been successful in removing the tumor, yet she had not lost her voice.

_Wakaouji-sensei claims that it's a miracle. Thank you, Takuto and Eichi…_

Mitsuki had nearly fallen asleep, until two of her guardian angels sat next to her. Meroko gave her a tight hug. Izumi looked away, as if ashamed of Meroko's behavior. He was used to it, though.

"Mi-ki, are you feeling better?" Izumi asked, his face cold as stone, though he was happy to see her.

Mitsuki's voice came out raspy, and she sounded quiet. "Yeah. Wakaouji thinks I may be able to start singing again, as long as I take it easy…"

Meroko smiled. "That's great, Mitsuki! Sorry that we haven't visited in awhile… The Pediatrics Ward has been insane lately. There have been some rebellions here and there; some of us are still debating whether to be Angels or Shinigami. Obviously, most of them want to be Angels; there are still a few sadistic ones that wish to be Shinigami."

Mitsuki laughed. "Like Izumi?"

Meroko shook her head and gave a little chuckle. "Like how he used to be. Now, why don't you get to sleep? We'll stay for the night."

Mitsuki nodded and gave a yawn.

* * *

"How is the patient's progress coming along?" inquired Wakaouji-sensei.

Hoshiko shrugged. "Not very well. He sleeps a lot, and we're trying to help him remember his past. There is not much hope for him to move or to remember anything."

"Thank you for your patience and support Hoshiko. I'm going to drop by and say hi to him, if you don't mind."

Wakaouji-sensei closed the door behind him. "Hello, Takuto. How's it going?"  
Takuto struggled to move up.  
"No, Takuto. Here, I'll help you out." Wakaouji-sensei helped him move up and propped Takuto's pillow so he could sit up a little more.

"My head… has been hurting a lot lately. It's as if someone put all these pictures in it, but I can't identify her."

"Her?"

"Yeah. This little girl in pigtails keeps appearing to me, and says she loves me. I wish I could remember who she is…"

"Don't worry, Takuto. You're making progress everyday. I'm sure that you'll see her soon."


End file.
